The APOLA restaurant is located on the first floor of the RIVER WEST OPEN, overlooking the new outdoor area of the mall. It can be considered as a fast food restaurant that operates from morning to night, offering a wide range of options from a breakfast brunch, lunch to dinner, with souvlaki as the main focus of its menu.
APOLA has a direct relation to the shopping center but at the same time it is a place that operates independently. In terms of design, we tried to balance two seemingly conflicting conditions: the preparation and distribution of fast food and its consumption in a modern friendly space, which exudes calm, relaxation and a warm atmosphere for a break from shopping in the mall or for an exclusive visit.
The facade of the restaurant consists of folding glass doors, which allow the sunny days to integrate the interior with the outside table area on the balcony. The resulting sensation is of a bright semi-outdoor space with unrestricted views of the outdoor green areas of the mall.
Design Team: Antonis Xenopoulos / Industrial Designer, Natalia Raftopoulou / Architect Engineer NTUA
Construction: Domikos Istos Ltd
Photography: Giorgos Sfakianakis
The floor plan, of the visible areas of the restaurant to the customer, can be simply attributed to 4 parallel zones. These zones have the following gradation: food preparation zone, visible to the public from the height of the counter and above, cash register and serving trays preparation zone, standing customer zone with a linear counter with stools as a waiting area for take away orders or as a short stay eating area and finally the main dining zone with an array of sofas and tables. Utility areas, such as scullery, storage areas, refrigerators, locker rooms and toilets, remain out of sight.
The materials used in the space are natural such as wood, metal and marble. The prominent color tones on the walls are light green-gray, in the form of textured paint or cladding with ceramic tiles. The choice of earthy colors in combination with their different materials and textures, create an interesting environment with a pleasant atmosphere. The hanging planters on the walls around the dining area, with the natural indoor plants, contribute to this atmosphere and also improve the air quality. On the floor, the alternation of tiles, from dark brown-gray to light beige mosaic, defines the areas of standing and movement.
On the ceiling the mechanical parts have remained visible. Organized in combination with the lighting fixtures and consistently with the floor plan, they create an interesting element in the space and allow for the maximum height in the dining hall. A curved drywall ceiling starts from and at the same time defines the area of the cash register. It continues over the order counter and ends up, dropping down, in the kitchen where it covers the air induction hoppers. The lighting of the restaurant is distinguished in qualities serving the creation of the appropriate atmosphere during the day and also highlighting the architectural details.
